James C. Russell, a master distiller at the Wild Turkey Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. He has worked at the distillery since 1954. His devotion to his whiskey making comes from his family. His grandfather worked in the distillery business as did his father before him. His son Eddie Russell now follows his footsteps.

Russell is also a director of the Kentucky Distiller's Association and the Distiller's Feed Council.

Where does the name 'Wild Turkey' come from?
When Thomas McCarthy, one of the executives at Austin, Nicholos (parent company of Wild Turkey Distillery) was out hunting for wild turkey in South Carolina with this whiskey, his whiskey became his hunter friends' favourite and that's where the famous Wild Turkey got its name.